The latest incident occurred on April 13, 2011 in Nevada when a medical flight carrying a critically ill passenger attempted to land at Reno-Tahoe International Airport with an air traffic controller sleeping while on duty.

In a statement, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt strongly condemned the unprofessional conduct that has called into question the public's confidence in air travel safety. The FAA's chief council David Grizzle will take over as acting ATO officer until a new candidate is found to permanently replace Mr. Krakowski.

The change in leadership comes on the heels of criticism from members of Congress who oversee the FAA's budget. "I just got off the phone with the FAA and told the Administrator that I am sick of this," said Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Senator Rockefeller's comments echoed those of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC World News, "I'll be grabbing the agency by the ears. I guarantee the flying public we will not sleep until we can guarantee that there's good safety in the control towers when these airplanes are coming in and out of airports."

The FAA currently has five investigations regarding air traffic controllers sleeping on duty.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Six people died on May 13, 2019, in a collision between two
floatplanes in Alaska that has safety experts cautioning passengers about small
aircraft. Alaska has been the site of three fatal small plane crashes in just
over one week, in addition to several across the US in recent months, highlighting
the many safety issues concerning small planes. Experts say the problem
lies in having fewer regulations over smaller, privately owned aircraft
compared with commercial airlines. Floatplanes Carrying Tourists
Both floatplanes involved in the collision carried tourists
from a Princess Cruises ship on a stopover in Ketchikan, Alaska. One of the
companies offered an excursion sold through Princess Cruises, while the other
was independently provided. The tourists were being taken to Ketchikan from the
Misty Fjords National Monument area at around 12:21 pm local time when the two
small planes—both float-equipped—collided at approximately 3,350 feet.
Bodies of 2 missing after Alaska float plane…

Hundreds of
passengers aboard a Viking Ocean Cruises ship experienced a dramatic rescue by
helicopter, with several later hospitalized, when the Viking Sky suffered
engine failure in the middle of incredibly stormy seas. Passengers told
reporters about their harrowing ordeals, either of being airlifted off the
listing ship in the darkness or remaining onboard and praying the vessel did
not sink. Officials are now questioning why the ship was in the sea at all,
given warnings about stormy weather, and how multiple engines failed at the
same time. Given the
number of people onboard the Viking Sky when its engines failed, it is
incredibly lucky that there were not more severe injuries, a common concern in boating accidents. What
Happened on the Viking Sky? On March
14, the Viking Sky cruise ship began a 12-day voyage from the city of Bergen,
in Norway. After it left the city of Tromso, on its way to Stavanger, the
ship's four engines shut down as the vessel encountered a massive storm…